Cutter-head for dredges.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903.

-A. W. ROBINSON.- GUTTER HEAD FOR DREDGES APPLICATION nun DEC. 6, 1901.

no MODEL.

I PATENT Patented May 12, 1903.

OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. ROBINSON, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

CUTTER-HEAD FOR DREDGES.

. SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 727,691, dated. May12, 1903. Application filed December 6, 1901. Serial No. 84,884. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W/ROBINSON, a citizen of the Dom'inion ofCanada, residing at Montreal, in the county of Hochelaga,Province ofQuebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCutter- Heads for Dredges, of which the following is a specification. V

My invention relates to cutting or excavating devices for hydraulicdredges, and has for its object to provide a new and improvedcutter-head for such dredges.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a side elevation of a cutter-head embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa longi tudinal section of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section through thesuction-pipe.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

My invention has, among other objects, that of providing a cutter-heador excavating device which shall have .a greater fiiciency than thecutter-heads heretofore used, which can be operated better in clay orsticky material, with less liability to clog with such material, andwhich can be more easily and cheaply constructed. I

I have illustrated the cutter-head in the drawings as mounted on the endof the shaft which is carried on top of the suction-pipe of the dredge.This suction-pipe is carried by the dredge and is connected therewith,so that it can be raised or lowered to bring it in contact with thematerial to be acted upon. Means are also provided for feeding thecutter-head into such material. Any desired mechanism for this purposecan be used, and I have not illustrated such mechanism, for any of thewell-known appliances for this purpose maybe used. The cutter-head ismounted upon the shaft D, which is rotated-during the operation of thedredge by a suitable motor mounted upon the dredge. This shaft, asherein shown, is located above the suctionpipe O, through which theexcavated material is drawn by a pump or other suction clevice locatedonthe dredge. The cutter-head is provided with a series of cutting-bladescarried by the hub'H, keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft D. Asherein illustrated,

cutter-head.

there are two sets of cutting or excavating blades. The blades L areconnected directly to the hub H, said blades terminating in the ring M,as shown. The blades K are connected at one end to the ring or support Ml and at the other end to the ring or support N. These blades may beintegral with the rings or bolted or riveted thereto or attached to suchrings or supports in any desired manner. When the blades'are bolted orriveted to the rings or supports, they are provided withsuitable flangesforthis purpose. The

ring or support N connects the ends of all the blades K and rotates inproximity to, but out of contact with, the stationary back plate E,which serves to close up the back part of the cutter-head. The blades Kare greater in n umber than the blades L. As herein illustrated, thereare four blades L and eight blades K. This construction permits greaterfreedom of opening between the blades L than would be the case if all ofthe blades K were converged and were attached to the cutter-head isoperating upon clay or adhe- 8o sive material of any kind. It will,b enoted that each alternate blade K in the censtruction herein shown is inline With one ef the blades L, thus forming, as it were, a continuousseparable blade, all of the blades K being connected together bythe ringor support N. It will also beseen that the cutteP-head is provided withwhat may be termed a series of long blades and another series of shorterblades. vice comprises two sections, one section havinga greater numberof blades than theother. The blades are provided with the renewablecutting edges 0 of steel or the like, said edges being detachablyattached to the blades in 5 any suitable manner.

The suction-pipe may be provided with an enlarged flaring opening at theend,if desired, and I prefer such a construction, as it facilitates theentrance of the material there- 100 in. I arrange the suctionpipesoas toincrease the area controlled by the mouth thereof, thus enabling me touse a much longer I have illustrated the suction- It will further beseen that the depipe as provided with means for extending or increasingthe efiective suctional area. As illustrated, the end or mouth of thesuctionpipe is divided into sections terminating at diiferent points.This construction may be termed a 1n ultiple-mo'uth suctionpipe, anditis of course evident that any desired 11 umber of months may thus beprovided. The upper section P, as illustrated in Fig. 2, extends intothe interior of the cutter-head a considerable distance, while the lowersection Q preferably terminates near the end thereof. By thisarrangement a portion of the suctionpipe may be extended forward inclose proximity to the blades L L, and the suction-pipe is enabled tomore readily remove the material from the front end of the cutter-headand to at the same time remove the material loosened by the blades K.This construction therefore enables me to employ a cutterhead of muchgreater length than has been heretofore possible, and hence a larger outcan be excavated and the efficiency of the dredge very materiallyincreased.

I have illustrated the cutter-head as made up of a series of separateparts, and I prefer to makeit in this Way; but it is of course evidentthat the parts may all be made in one piece, if desired.

In the operation of the'device the cutterhead is rotated, so as to cutor loosen the material acted upon, and such material passes in betweenthe blades and is drawn up through the suction-pipe and discharged atthe point desired, the cutter head being fed laterally as the materialis cut away.

The ring or annular part M is preferably formed so as to offer the leastresistance to the entering material, and it also serves the purpose ofcutting or dividing the excavated material into two streams, which aretherefore better adapted to be removed by the multiple mouth of thesuction-pipe.

I claim 1. A cutting or stirring device for dredges, comprising two setsof cutting-blades, one set of cutting-blades located at the end of theother set and provided with converging ends which are rigidly fastenedtogether.

2. A cutting or stirring device for dredges, provided with a series ofcutting-blades, said cutting or stirring device divided into twosections, one section provided with a greater number of blades than theother section the blades of both sections attached at both ends tosupporting-pieces.

3. A cutting or stirring device for dredges, comprising a series of longblades and an intermediate series of shorter blades, all mounted upon asuitable supporting device so as to be rotated together the longerblades converging at their ends and connected with a common centralpiece.

4. A cutting or stirring device for dredges, comprising a series ofblades mounted upon a support attached to a rotatable shaft and unitedat their outer ends, a second series of blades connected with the firstseries so as to rotate therewith, said second series being greater innumber than the first series.

5. A cutting or stirring device for dredges, comprising a rotatableshaft, a series of blades connected with a part attached to said shaft,said blades terminating in a ring, a second series of blades connectedwith said ring and having curved converging ends, and a uniting devicewhich unites the converging ends of said latter blades.

6. A cutting or stirring device for dredges, comprising a shaft, a hubattached thereto, a series of blades connected with said hub, an annularpart extending around the shaft but free therefrom and joining the endsof said blades, a second series of blades connected to said annularpart, and means for supporting the ends of said latter blades.

7. A cutting or stirring device comprising two sets of cutting-blades,one set located at the end of the other set, and a suction-pipe havingtwo months, one associated with each set of cutting-blades.

S. The combination with a cutting or stirring device for dredges of asuction-pipe provided with a multiple month, opening in the direct-ionof the length of the pipe, one portion being in advance of the otherwhereby the effective suctional area of the pipe is increased.

9. The combination with a cutting or stirring device fordredges of asuction-pipe, havingits mouth divided into sections which open in thedirection of the length of the pipe at different points along itslength, whereby the length of the cutting or stirring device may beincreased and its efficiency enlarged.

10. A dredging device, comprising a rotatable shaft, provided with a hubcarrying a series of cutting-blades, a second series of cutting-bladeslocated in proximity to the ends of the first-mentioned blades andgreater in number than the first series, and a suctionpipe provided witha multiple mouth and associated with said blades.

11. A dredging device, comprising a rotatable shaft, provided with a hubcarrying a series of cutting-blades, a second series of cutting-bladeslocated in proximity to the ends of the first-mentioned blades andgreater in number than the first series, and a suctionpipe having itsmouth divided into sections opening at different points along the lengthof said blades, one section adapted to hold the material loosened by oneseries of blades and the other section to hold the material loosened bythe other series of blades.

12. Adredgingdevice,comprisingacutting or stirring device made up of'twoseries of blades united by an annular part, a suctionpipe, having itsmouth divided into at least two sections opening at difierent points,said annular part acting to divide the current of excavated materialinto two streams, so as to better adapt such material to be removed bythe suction-pipe.

13. A dredging device, comprising a series on, an annular part to whichthe ends of saidof rotary cutting-blades, a suction-pipe assoblades areattached, a second series of blades ciated therewith, having its mouthdivided attached to said annular part, a ring to which into at least twosections opening-in the dithe ends of said latter blades are connected,I5

5 rection of its length and at different points, a stationary back platewhich serves to close and means for dividing the current of enterup theback of the device, and a suction-pipe ing lnaterialso as to facilitatethe entrance extending through said back plate.

of such material into the sections of the suc- ARTHUR W. ROBINSON.

tion-pipe. Witnesses: IO 14. A dredging device, comprisinga rota- H. S.JOHNSTON,

table shaft, a series of blades mounted there- OHARA BAYNES.

